[tnathan475]

Possible or no?

[Unknown Target]

Like, curved beams? No.

[Flipside]

The scale is too big for them, when you play RTS etc, it doesn't matter, but when you play in first person, you can see that a curve is really just a lot of straight lines

[blowfish]

Perhaps thathan475 meant beams that track their target while firing, rather than staying fixed and falling of the end of the target if the firing ship/target moves too far while the beam is firing.

[JGZinv]

Baxslash and I have had a possible theory on how to do this, but it depends on when he's able to
work on it.

It first has to get one turn completed, then we could work from there.

[tnathan475]

Perhaps thathan475 meant beams that track their target while firing, rather than staying fixed and falling of the end of the target if the firing ship/target moves too far while the beam is firing.

exactly what i meant beams that track their targets as they move

[ShadowGorrath]

Making an invisible missile with a beam trail and sound ? Then making it move around until it homes onto a target ?

[Getter Robo G]

Gunbuster wants curved beams!!! 

[Mobius]

Shivan super laser anyone?

Just create a missile with a very long trail and proper textures/models.

[haloboy100]

Shivan super laser anyone?

Just create a missile with a very long trail and proper textures/models.

Won't that make curved beams?

The thing he isn't asking for?

[Droid803]

Slash beams are the closest I can think of. You can get the illusion that it is homing if it slashes at the right angle 

[Retsof]

I know I've seen a shivan beam follow it's target... But which one...? 

[blowfish]

I know I've seen a shivan beam follow it's target... But which one...? 

Are you sure you weren't hallucinating?  Because beams shouldn't follow their targets.

[Retsof]

I think it was the Sath beams, I remember them moving (you tend to notice when you're right next to them)  ... Maybe that was when I still had retail...?

[blowfish]

I think it was the Sath beams, I remember them moving (you tend to notice when you're right next to them)  ... Maybe that was when I still had retail...?

That could be caused by their firing ship moving.  Beams always maintain their vector relative to the ship that is firing them.  Except slash beams.

[spartan_0214]

Seriously, with as powerful as the FreeSpace beams are, you don't really need to track a cruiser. With as strong as the beams hit, they probably affect the object's forward momentum. (And they punch right through, Lucy cutscene anyone?)

[Backslash]

Yes... but imagine mods or TCs with beams that AREN'T that powerful and yet still look cool.

Actually, they do affect the momentum, but not forward -- it kind of goes 'sideways' like a baseball bat.  Only noticeable on small ships though.  However I tested a change that made forward momentum work... and with negative numbers, a tractor beam    Working on this

All that said... I do think a 'hybrid' beam, probably a new type, could be created, that behaves somewhat like a slash beam and does 'track' the target.

And Getter -- granted I've only seen Gunbuster scenes on Youtube... but the curved beam bit, isn't it being affected by the moon's gravity because of such a huge (light-minutes) distance/scale?

[gevatter Lars]

In that scene its indeed the gravity of the moon/planet that takes effect. Still I think there was a  situation where the Gunbuster itself fired beams that where tracking the enemy kinda like a missile would.
I think createing an invisible missiles with a beamlike trail would currently the best way to simulate this effect.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

I don't think that's a good idea. What velocity would you give that missile?

[gevatter Lars]

A spead that matches that of a normal beam?
Also one shouldn't make the missile to manuverable.